Hostile Makeover
by emeralddusk
Summary: Velma was always more than what most people saw. Daphne sees that.
1. Chapter 1

Hostile Makeover

For the Love of Velma Dinkley

Scooby-Doo

_I don't know why this happens to me. It's just so messed up. I want to be recognized for my intelligence and accomplishments. Unfortunately, my line of work usually causes me to wind up looking like something completely different. Plus, Daphne doesn't exactly help. What is it about her? I've graduated top of my class since eighth grade, solved hundreds of mysteries, and even got nominated for a Nobel Prize for my work in the field of cellular manipulation and bio-chemistry, but I still have no clue what it is about her eyes that always does something to me. Her irises are an extremely deep and pure aqua color. She almost never wears makeup around her eyes, she never needed glasses, and, overall, the natural look of her eyes is…captivating._

_ Okay, that didn't come out right. I'm not a lesbian; I know that. But it seems like that's one fact I can't back up (especially to my friends). What I meant was, and I don't know why I'm so bent on explaining this to whatever stranger I come across, her eyes have an interesting formation and color scheme to them. I truly think they remind me of something; some kind of setting or memory that I'm just not able to recall. Maybe they look like a shallow lagoon around dusk that I spent the day in while the gang and I were investigating the apparent resurrection of the Ghost Diver. I'm not sure what else it could be. I don't really want to try to drag up memories right now; I'm really tired. Getting hard to type._

_ Daphne and I have been friends for a long time. We met in high school. I was a sophomore and she was a junior. She was always sweet. Thanks to her, I got to sit at the cool girls' table at lunch. She even stood up for me against bullies. Before Mystery Inc. formed, she was usually the one to find my glasses when I lost them (not that that happened alot before lunatics in costumes starting bumping into me). When Shaggy, Freddie, Scooby, Daphne, and I finally formed Mystery Inc. and set out cross-country in Freddie's dad's old van, I was the youngest member (sometimes I even think Scooby's older than I am). No one seemed to mind. Shaggy was even comfortable enough to hint at a relationship between him and I a couple of times. I always turned him down gently: Always using some lame excuse. Every time I did, I'd look back, and Daphne would be right there taking mental notes. Daphne's not a lesbian; as cliché' as it sounds, I know this because her and Freddie have been an item since the gang started. Everyone even thought they'd tie the knot one day. Five years passed, but nothing ever happened. There were times when I wasn't even sure the two were talking to each other. I don't know. It feels like I say that alot lately._

_ While the mystery business was on hiatus, Daphne and I realized we'd need to find new living arrangements. I wasn't crazy about the idea of moving in with Mom, and Daphne wasn't about to move back to Blake Manor with her parents and her siblings. So, we threw aside our pride and rented an apartment room close to the ritzy section of the city. It was awesome; we had a balcony view of the city skyline, a bedroom, two bathrooms, a pretty big living room, a fully-functional kitchen, and even a walk-in closet, which Daphne took over. During the two years we spent together, we grew closer than ever before. Most of the time, I couldn't afford the rent, so Daphne covered me. I really appreciated that. But, being Daphne, she asked for some small favors in return; More times than I'd like to disclose, I found myself acting as a dress-up doll for her attempts at a clothing line. I was "blessed" enough to sample her pink mini-mini skirt, halter swimsuit, mega-high heels, and the prototype of her successful "Daphne Blake Forbidden Fruit" underwear. She always said I was the perfect model. I always thought her style of clothing was kind of uncomfortable, though. I made sure all the windows were shut, and nothing could be traced back to me. Daphne would always giggle at my comments, then keep giving me more clothing to wear. The worst experience I ever had was when she made me try on her swimwear line. Anyone who knows me knows that, for me, a swimsuit consists of a modest one-piece (usually colored orange and red) and a matching, long swimming shirt that goes down to the tips of my knees. However, for the first and last time, Daphne witnessed me wearing a very tight black push-up with a matching two-string bikini bottom (which was borderline humiliation. I mean, my hips were almost completely uncovered, and I was practically naked). Then, of course, I had to pose to, as she put it, "test the flexibility and reliability of the suit". So, I had to lie down on my stomach and fold my legs back, bend down on my knees and stretch backwards as she observed the sides of the bra, and, overall, keep from dying of embarrassment._

_ "This is ridiculous," I declared, abandoning the demeaning position and wrapping myself in a towel. "I'm not a model, and this is just…ah! I don't even know what to call it! I can't do this anymore! I feel like a tramp!"_

_ "I'm sorry," Daphne quickly apologized, trying to hide her cheeks as they turned as red as fire. "I…I don't know. I didn't know you were against this." She screwed up; we could both see that. She was ashamed, and I was stupid._

_ Letting out a sigh, I adjusted my glasses and walked over to her. She was on the verge of tears. "It's okay," I surrendered. "You needed a model, I was here, we're friends,…and I guess I kind of owe some of this to you. This was just…way too out of my comfort zone. Don't beat yourself up, Daph. It's just…I'm not really…model material."_

_ "I know I took it too far," she replied, blinking back her mounting tears. "…But you're wrong about what you said."_

_ "What's that?" I asked, taking a seat on the couch._

_ "You're a perfect model," Daphne reassured me. "Velma…you're sweet, smart, kind…Anyone can see that just by looking at your eyes. You don't know how beautiful you are…and I think that makes you gorgeous." For the first time in a long time, I was speechless. I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped, my cheeks became as red as hers, and I started babbling under my breath. She just smiled a warm smile and quickly but gently stroked down my hair. _

_At the time, I wore my hair pretty short in my signature, thick bob cut. I don't know why, but after that day, I decided to let my hair grow out alittle. Now, my auburn locks look slightly more feminine, lightly but attractively unkempt, somewhat wavy, and… I don't know; cuter. Oh man, I sound just like Daphne. I don't even know why I care, but I guess I just had to articulate it. I like this look; my natural look. Of course, I kept wearing my trademark baggy, light-orange sweater, my Mary-Janes, and a long red skirt. To this day, I never wear makeup; I tried it once, but the mascara always started itching, so I'd rub my eyes and wind up looking like a raccoon. Daphne still urges me to "try something new", but I'm content with how I am. My modeling days are over (thankfully), Daphne and I are better friends/roommates, and, in time, Mystery Inc. even reformed._

_It was great being back on the road again. Daphne and Freddie, as far as I knew, still weren't talking. They never called each other the whole time the gang was split up. Shaggy sent us a couple of e-mails and even a phone call from him and Scoob, but Freddie; radio silence. Things weren't like they were before, but I knew the former lovebirds would come around. Our first day on the road, we were headed for North Dakota to investigate some guy calling himself Rushmore and a string of disappearances._

"_Hey," Shaggy said, leaning against the wall in the back of the van, staring out the window. "You guys remember when Scooby's cousin, Scrappy was part of the team?"_

"_Oh, lord, that was horrible," I burst out._

"_He was always trying to show me up as leader," Freddie added. "Me!"_

"_I still haven't gotten that urine stain out of that dress," Daphne said. "He was so creepy. No offense, Scoob." _

"_Rone raken," Scooby answered, taking a break from his sandwich. _

"_Whatever happened to him?" I asked, turning back to Shag and Scoob._

"_After the gang broke up, PETA decided Scoob and I weren't 'fit guardians'," Shaggy casually answered, not breaking his composure for an instant. "So, they adopted him off and said we couldn't have any contact with him…Or maybe it was the other way around."_

"_Sorry, Scooby," I said in a gentle voice._

_Shrugging his front legs up like a pair of human shoulders, Scooby-Doo responded with an uninvolved, "Reh", and continued eating._

_We hadn't had a conversation like that in a long time; the whole gang together as a family. It was…nice. Things were different; better. Daphne and Freddie started talking to each other after about a week on the road. After three long days, the Rushmore Case was solved, and we had some free time to check out the sites and, for Daphne, the shops. _

_It didn't take long for the media to find us, though. The next day, we were on the local news. After explaining (for what felt like an eternity) to the makeup crew that I didn't use any cosmetics, and preferred my natural look, Daphne convinced me it was just because of the lights and camera angles. So, I let them touch up my cheeks, nose, and forehead with a light foundation, and that was it. Then, we all sat down next to Candace Thornberg and TJ Nelson and answered some questions. The matter of my nominations didn't come up much, which I was thankful for. Unlike our E! and TMZ interviews, the reporters didn't obsess over relationships and idiotic rumors (which could be summed up in few words; pot, co-habitation, and so on)._

_The show ended with an invitation to Caesar's Palace to investigate a string of robberies committed by a group of magicians. The publicity would be great for our resurrection, so we accepted. For the first time, we were given an all-expense-paid plane flight while the Mystery Machine was transported to our rendezvous location in Las Vegas. I never really traveled much, so the flight was awesome. Flying first class was nothing new for Daphne or Fred, but Shaggy, Scooby (who got to ride with the rest of us), and I were about to geek out. When we finally touched down, we were met by the manager, taken to the van, and went over the details in private. Everything was taken care of, so all we had to do was solve the case, unpack in the awesome hotel they booked for us, and have the time of our lives in Sin City._

_I can't really go over the details of that mystery, but the part that was broadcast on live TV was all people really seemed to care about:_

"Ladies and gentlemen," a young man wearing a white mask with black eyes and a black slit that somehow moved when he spoke declared. "There's been alot of crimes committed in this town. They have one thing in common as of recently; what these degenerates call magic. I stand before you tonight, having returned from my requiem in the afterlife, to show you magic's true face. I intend to do this the only way I know how…with the magic my mother passed down to me, my heart and soul, my deck of cards, and my bare hands." Of course, there was no standing ovation; that would have to be earned once again.

_Backstage before the show, we met with Rufus Raucous, the legendary magician believed to have died three years ago during a major accident while performing on stage. We were the first to know he actually survived and lived underground until he felt it was time to come back. He told us the presence of "true" magic would draw the criminals right to him. It all came down to a matter of superiority; who would let someone like Rufus tell the world that their magic was just a fraud? Unfortunately, we had to make a deal with him in order for him to help us expose the criminals;_

"I'm going to need an assistant," the magician declared. All eyes turned on Daphne. "No…I need her." Following the man's finger, everyone looked at Velma, whose heart suddenly began pounding as her cheeks flushed over a dramatic shade of red.

"_Helping me with my return is my lovely assistant," Rufus announced to the audience, holding his hand out towards the curtains._

_I slowly peeked my head out of the curtain, saw the massive crowds, and nearly fainted. There was no way I could do this. Then, I felt Daphne's hands push me out onto the stage, where everyone could see me stumble in the pink high heels and shimmering, pink, legless tutu they made me wear. Unable to hide my embarrassment, my face seemed to catch fire, and I nearly wet my leotard. Some people who knew about Mystery Inc. cheered while most others giggled. Trying to make myself look somewhat professional, I walked forward, hoping my puffy skirt was hiding my backside (which it didn't). Rufus was a professional, and that was my only relief. I would never do anything like this if it weren't completely necessary (if I was in the right mind). Our plan worked, and the criminals crashed the show. Together, we managed to tie them up and trap them in a non-lethal model of an iron maiden. Then, we unmasked them, had them arrested, and met up backstage._

"_You look pretty, Velma," Daphne declared, making me blush once again. Scooby and the boys left when I said I needed to change, but Daphne stayed. "Hey," she said in a quiet, gentle voice. "Not trying to sound shallow, but wow." I kind of smiled, desperately wanting all this to be over with. "Your legs look great."_

_Clearing my throat, I tried to overcome the desire to run and hide under a rock. "Thank you," I said. "I think this makes me look kinda fat."_

"_So not," the redhead burst out. "Velma, you're not even close to being fat."_

"_You don't have to lie to me, Daph," I replied, only to be caught off guard by the worst possible thing I could imagine; my tutu was riding up. "You're the only model here." When I thought she wasn't looking, I began to pull down on the leotard, relieving some of the discomfort._

"_I'm no model," she replied. "And I'm not lying to you. I think you're really cute. Plus, uh…I got a good look at your thighs while you were onstage. They're pretty toned." At that moment, I suddenly realized I had just shown the world just about everything. My cheeks were almost completely exposed, my legs were totally naked. Then, I broke down and started crying._

_Taking off my glasses and covering my eyes and mouth with each hand, I felt my face light up as red as it'd ever been. I really, really just wanted to die. Then, I felt Daphne hug me; she was calm, respectful, and nurturing. "Sshh," she whispered, slowly lowering the two of us into a seated position on the floor. She wasn't trying to embarrass me, and I knew that. Still, I was never going to be comfortable with what had happened. "You're okay. You're okay." I don't know how long it took for me to calm down. "I know you don't like putting yourself out there…but you shouldn't be ashamed about your body, Vel. You're smart, sweet,…and from where I'm standing, you're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen."_

_I swallowed hard, let Daphne put my glasses back on my face, and just held her. "Thanks, Daph," my crackling voice managed to whisper._

"_Come on," she said, gently lifting me back up onto my feet. "Let's get you out of this costume." Smiling like a little girl, I let my friend take my hand and walk me towards the dressing room._


	2. Masterpiece

Hostile Makeover

Chapter Two

Scooby-Doo

_Daphne really is a good friend. We've always had our differences, but at the end of the day, we're both glad to have each other. She's kind of…well…no. She's more than like a sister to me. She's something special. I let it slip out once, but I really think that is was true when I told her that I loved her. Then, she told me she loved me too. I didn't think much of it at the time, but after she let me cry on her shoulder…I just don't know. Lately, I've been thinking of her alot. The more I look on it, the more I realize we haven't been together very much since the gang got back together. I don't know why, but that's really been bothering me._

_ When I sleep, I've been having lucid dreams. Most of the time, I can't even remember the dreams I've experienced, save some equations and scientific fiction elements. Now, I'm remembering everything; hours worth of dreaming that seem like seconds while I'm asleep. For the longest time, I didn't like talking about it, but now I'm holding onto them all day. I was quiet for awhile; I spent hours trying to hold onto and examine the strange new feelings my dreams gave me. There is one dream that obsessed me; one I can never fully express in words, science, mental studies, or even its ties to reality. In it, I'm walking along the shore of a beach I've never seen or been to. The sand's color is faded to gray, and I think the water is completely black. I'm alone. I see myself walking, my view going from what my eyes show me to the eyes of another, watching my back as I step forward without making progress. Then, there's something to my left. At first, it's a glaring light that hurts my eyes. So, I take off my glasses, and I can see clearly. It takes me a long time, but I finally turn to see the light, and it's an empty sidewalk illuminated with street lights and the dramatic image of red, orange, and yellow trees that seemed to shine. Soon, purple streaks of light appeared in the sky alongside the trees. The last thing I remember before waking up is the trees becoming dominantly red as the purple lights swallowed up my entire sight. It sounds even crazier coming out of my head. Obviously, it was about Daphne. That's not the part that got to me, though; it's the feeling I got from it. I don't really want to get into all that now, but I will admit that it was profound. My dreams seem to have too much of an impact on my emotions lately. I try to hide everything, but my thoughts are getting really messed up. It's so much to take in, but it feels amazing._

_ I remember when we were at that hotel in Vegas. Daphne said her room was out of hot water because of broken pipes in the wing she was staying in. So, she asked if she could use mine. Of course, she somehow knew the exact time to knock on my door so I'd answer near-soaking wet and covered with nothing but the towel I'd wrapped myself in. "I'm really sorry to bug you," she said. "But I am freezing, and dying for a hot shower." At the time, I was still recovering from my little crying fit._

_ "…Do you mind sharing?" I finally asked. Daphne smiled her innocent, perky smile. The next thing I knew, I was behind the curtain, feeling beads of hot water gently hitting my face, and trying not to stare at Daphne's exposed body as she washed her thin, toned, lightly tanned arms. Her breasts were tight but plump, and her stomach was like a sculpture; so smooth, so tight, and, just like the rest of her, so beautiful._

_ Then, I wake up and realize it was just another childish dream. _

_ "Magical Makeover Machine of the Future," Daphne read out loud. I stared at the metal tube before us, and made my statement; "I don't know. I kind of like my natural…" Smiling a joking but kind smile, Daphne pushed me inside the machine, and we both watched the doors shut by themselves. The sounds of the machine let her know of the progress being made to me._

_ As the doors opened, I looked down at myself, groaning in discomfort as I stretched out my fingers, which were now long, sharpened, and painted hot pink. "Ehh," I sighed, walking over towards a mirror to see what damage had been done. "I feel like I have ten pounds of makeup on, and these shoes are so tight, I…" Then, I saw my reflection; all my freckles were covered with smooth, light, flawless foundation that perfectly matched my skin tone, my eyes were highlighted with a light, sophisticated aqua liner and mascara, my lips were free of any cracks or flaws under the protection of glossy, light-red lipstick, my hair was slicked back and flaring out at the back of my crown and jetting out over my neck, my baggy, light-orange turtleneck had been altered into a nearly skin-tight, sleeveless turtleneck tank top of the same color, my skirt was somehow altered into a pair of red skinny jeans, and my Mary-Janes became matching red high heeled boots. "Wow, I'm hot!" I blurted out unintentionally. Daphne giggled and observed me for a minute. I'd never go out in public like this, but I did look amazing (for me). My bare stomach was exposed, lightly tanned, and, much to my own surprise, fairly toned and tight. The same was true with my arms. I'd lost some weight over the years, but all this made me look like a model. Plus, and I know this sounds extremely shallow, but give me a break; my hips, legs, and butt looked fantastic. I felt gorgeous (now on the outside as well as the inside). Inside that machine, I felt a pair of robotic hands drown my entire head with a rich, fruity gel that flattened my poofy bob cut into a head of long, smooth locks, then slide, slick, and style it into a tight formation. Then, they powdered my face, painted my lips and eyes, and lightly waxed my eye brows. My glasses were removed and replaced with the most amazing contacts I'd ever experienced, and then my clothes were cut, stretched, and transformed._

_I'm getting very confused; there's nothing to back this up. There's no science or field of study that can tell me if what I'm feeling is right. I get hormones and crushes, but…this is all something new, and I'm afraid. No, I was afraid when I had to go on stage in Vegas; now, I'm terrified. I feel like everything about me is changing. Nothing's supposed to get to me. I'm smart, independent, self-motivated, and driven. I can't be in love. I can't…oh, god. How did all this happen? Daphne and I are just friends. What happened? What changed? Why am I feeling this way? Should I be feeling this way? Does Daphne feel the same way about me? Maybe she was just flirting and I took it for passion. But I don't want to stop feeling like this. I don't want to go back to the way it was before. I'm in control…No, I'm not. For the first time in my life, I don't think I'm in control. This can't be healthy. My life can't rely on how someone else feels…but it doesn't feel wrong. I feel like I want to live in this feeling forever. I don't want to let it go, I don't want to be right. I just…I feel like I need to tell all my secrets to her. I need to love her and, for the first time, be loved back._

_ Maybe I'm going crazy. I've been so focused on my experiments and research for so long. Maybe I don't know what it's like to be normal. Maybe all those times I chose my research over building friends and family were just me trying to shut out something that was always missing. But I love science. It's who I am; it's what I built myself around since I was a kid. I'll never give it up, and I'd never take all of it back. Then what the hell am I feeling now? My life was never a distraction, and I've never been weighed down by an empty hole in myself. I'm a complete person…but if that were true, why am I going out of my mind over Daphne? Over someone I can't even read or analyze?_

_ I've always been a nerd and an outcast. I used to hear people calling me weird behind my back. I always shut that out and dedicated my time to experiments. Am I seriously going to do the opposite? Am I going to purposely set myself up to be turned down and humiliated by the one group of real friends I've ever had? Why are you doing this to me, Daphne? It wasn't supposed to be like this._

_ "Velma," that beautiful, crushing voice gently called out. "You've been alone all day…what's going on? I've seen you throw yourself into your work before. But now it seems like you're avoiding everyone."_

_ "It's nothing," I lied, just like I was supposed to. "I'm fine."_

_ "I've been your friend for years, Vel," Daphne replied, sure of herself. "I know when you're lying to me. Please, whatever it is you're going through, I wanna help you. I want to be a real friend to you."_

_ "You are a real friend to me," I mumbled, trying so hard to keep my eyes on my work and free of tears._

_ "What?" she asked, obviously unable to make sense out of my rambling. Then, I heard her walk closer to me, and my heartbeat turned into a drug; an overpowering high flared out all throughout my body as my heart became lifted and violent in its beats. My lips became so dry and I think I started trembling. This was it; it had to be it. I felt amazing, she must have felt the same, and it just had to be here; like this. At this moment. Now and forever if I ever wanted it to matter. "You are…more…than just a friend," I confessed, clenching my left fist in my right hand in an attempt to control my shaking. "I-I know we've always been, like…friends. And that was good. That was how I thought things were supposed to be. Nobody's ever…really cared about me like you have. I always thought I was going to be alone forever because…well, because that's just how things are. But now, I'm…I'm different, and I don't want to be alone. But I want you to be the person that makes me not alone. I don't know how you feel, and I know I'm taking this all too far, and I don't blame you if you're uncomfortable and don't want to be my friend anymore, but I just…Well, I need you to know, and-and I wish I could make you understand like I do. I mean, I wish I could know you were in the same place I was so maybe you'd understand why it is I'm doing this. I mean, I…I think I…You know; you and me, Daphne. I just feel like I…"_

_ She pulled me close to her in half an instant and pressed her lips to mine. Then, she started kissing me, and I felt like I was going to fall, so I put my left hand on her lower back to stop myself from collapsing on my back. Her eyes were closed, and I think mine closed soon after. In that one moment; that one perfect, flawless moment in time, I wasn't afraid anymore. I knew she felt what I did, and understood it as much as I did. I raised my right arm, touching the back of her head where her long, thick, beautiful, flawless hair caressed my skin like a field of roses blowing in a warm wind. I felt her lips opening and closing atop mine, and I repeated the gesture, listening to the sounds of our lips popping and our breaths retreating into the air. We both felt something strong in that instant; a pulse fluttered in her stomach, and my entire being caught fire. Our faces were raging with uncontrollable heat as our cheeks touched. Daphne tightly placed both of her hands on my cheeks, closed her eyes tightly, let out what sounded like a cryful moan of joy and passion, and pushed herself closer to me. It was beautiful; like a painting. She was so happy; so fulfilled that she was crying. She was crying for me, to me; crying in my love. I think I started crying as well. This was perfection; I'd never felt anything like this before in my life. It was so right; so powerful, and I wanted this to stay forever and for eternity day after day after day bleeding into night after night after night until eternity becomes love. "I love you," we both whispered in harmony. We were blind, deaf, dumb, and paralyzed except for what we shared within each other's love. We were all that there was in this world for the time. Nothing went unsaid. Nothing was left without clarification. And yet, I felt like I had to the world to tell her over and over again. She felt the same way, and she didn't have to talk to tell me anything. We never changed; we stayed ourselves and loved each other for it. There was no more fear, no fall from the high, and no turning back. This was our past, present, and future, no matter what had happened before._

_ Thank you, Daphne Blake. Thank you, heaven. Thank you, innocence and goodness and peace and the truth. The things I never knew now save me every second that we live. Neither of us has ever been so happy or so in love. And every day I tell her everything, but I never feel like there's nothing to talk about._


End file.
